What is the Difference Between Wheel Alignment and Wheel Balancing?
2 Answers
Here are the differences between wheel alignment and wheel balancing: 1. Different Functions: Wheel alignment involves inspecting and correcting the vehicle's driving trajectory, including adjustments to the suspension, chassis, and other components. Wheel balancing, on the other hand, simply evens out the mass distribution of the wheel to make it rotate more smoothly. 2. Different Roles: Wheel alignment adjusts the data of all four wheels, while wheel balancing involves adding weights to each wheel. 3. Different Definitions: Front wheel alignment includes four aspects: caster angle, kingpin inclination, camber angle, and toe angle. Rear wheel alignment includes camber angle and individual rear toe angles. Collectively, front and rear wheel alignment is referred to as wheel alignment, commonly known as four-wheel alignment. Wheel balancing refers to the balance between wheels during vehicle operation. Balancing weights are added because the mass distribution of each tire cannot be perfectly uniform during manufacturing.
Wheel alignment and wheel balancing actually serve quite different purposes. Wheel alignment involves adjusting the angles of the wheels, such as when the car pulls to one side or the tires wear unevenly. Parameters like camber and toe are adjusted to ensure the car drives straight and consumes less fuel. Wheel balancing, on the other hand, deals with the overall balance of the tire and wheel assembly. If the steering wheel shakes or the car body vibrates at high speeds, small counterweights are added to balance the weight. I often help friends with car repairs and have found that poor alignment can worsen handling, while improper balancing affects ride comfort and even damages the suspension. It's recommended to check the alignment periodically and always perform balancing when changing tires. After all, these small maintenance tasks are crucial for safety—don't wait for problems to arise before addressing them.
